APC 6-Outlet Surge Protector 840 Joules (P6B)

A friend recommended that I get the APC outlet when my last one was hit by lightening. So far this outlet is doing well. It has a 50,000 dollar guarantee on it, but my friend swears by the APC surge protector strips, The price for this was really good so I have faith that this outlet will do well.

I purchased two of this model after reading an article outlining how terrible (and scary) the quality of many surge protectors is. APC was the ONLY brand that came out of this study looking OK. Here are my impressions:
http://www.tomshardware.com/picturestory/681-cheap-power-surge-protector.html

The first thing you’ll find when opening the (retail style) packaging is a hand notated quality control receipt! It appears APC verifies the operation of every individual unit. This is extraordinary! The 6ft cord is round and flexible, and feels very “heavy duty” gauge. The cord is similar to what you find on a high priced outdoor extension cord (20 amp+). This model has child proofing covers, but one of the two units I received did not seem to lock these covers securely at all. This is disappointing and if you need this feature I would suggest looking for a different model. The black plastic is semi-gloss which gives the strip a slightly more expensive look which should blend in with your entertainment system a but better than some power strips. There is a light on at all times when the cord is plugged in, but it is very dim and shouldn’t produce enough light to bother anyone.

Lastly I want to mention that while I purchased two of these in a single order, they were shipped to me separately each in their own large box (on the same day)- such waste.

Incredible bang for the buck! This is a sacrificial link, so if lightning strikes you toss it, cheap enough. We WERE hit by lightning a few years back and another famous/expensive brand of surge suppressors failed us, killing all the electronics in the office. The suppressors were junk and had to be tossed too, plus their “insurance” wasn’t worth spit when I called for warranty coverage, after being jerked around, I concluded they had probably never paid any nor intended to ever pay. APC units are better, with good customer service, so far, so we’ll see how they do if we are hit again!

I have used APC before. APC has the highest standard for a surge protector. I use APC for computer, printer, router, TV, CD, DVD and clock. Also for my Keurig coffee pot. Remember to register your product. Serial number is on the box, and on the back of the device. The P6B (This particular model), turn switch to on. A green light will appear. If you have faulty electricity or a problem, a red light will show. To install an outlet plug rotate the safety shutter. This product has a guarantee on it by APC. Their old publications used to show what happened to those who used cheap protectors. No computer, printer, or TV. Burn out. According to APC the device reacts to spikes and lightening. However I would recommend in the event of severe Thunderstorm to pull the plug, and restore after the storm.
If you are not using APC, go for it. On the BOX: A Lifetime Guarantee. This product also meets the standard for European environmental controls.

I purchased this about a year ago. The problem with evaluating a piece of equipment like this is that, if it works correctly, you’ll never know it! As luck would have it, I did get a chance to see the value of having a surge protector like this one.

I’ve got all my computer stuff (PCs, Monitors, modem, router, External HDDs, etc) plugged into two of these. But my printer, located on the other side of the room, was not. Last fall, we had some stormy, lightning-filled weather with power fluctuations, brown outs, half-second black-outs and finally a complete loss of power that lasted several hours. When electrical service was finally restored, all of my equipment powered up fine–except for the printer. At first, it would power up sometimes, but within a few days, not at all. It was the only piece of computer equipment not plugged into an APC surge protector. I’m very skeptical about coincidences. The deciding factor had to have been the APC, or rather, the lack of one.

My only criticism, is that I wish that APC had rotated the outlets 90 degrees in the body of the surge protector and spaced them out a bit more. That would have made it possible to plug in the transformers that my External HDDs, router and cable modem all use. Instead, I have to waste outlets or use the short extension cords made for that purpose. If I could deduct a half-star for that I would, but it’s not worth a whole star.

Highly recommended.

It looks better than expected. It’s composition is way stronger than the usual cheap surge protectors. It also has an individual protection for each plug, avoiding unnecessary contact of any kind (I don’t remember seeing it in the description).